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Playback

  • 2012
  • R
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
4.3/10
5.2K
YOUR RATING
Playback (2012)
A group of high school students unwittingly release an evil spirit who will stop at nothing to find his true heir.
Play trailer2:15
1 Video
19 Photos
Supernatural HorrorHorrorMysteryThriller

A teenager investigates the case of a missing local baby, though he discovers a dark secret that has been unleashed in his town, and an evil spirit that will stop at nothing to find its heir... Read allA teenager investigates the case of a missing local baby, though he discovers a dark secret that has been unleashed in his town, and an evil spirit that will stop at nothing to find its heir.A teenager investigates the case of a missing local baby, though he discovers a dark secret that has been unleashed in his town, and an evil spirit that will stop at nothing to find its heir.

  • Director
    • Michael A. Nickles
  • Writer
    • Michael A. Nickles
  • Stars
    • Christian Slater
    • Ambyr Childers
    • Toby Hemingway
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    4.3/10
    5.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Michael A. Nickles
    • Writer
      • Michael A. Nickles
    • Stars
      • Christian Slater
      • Ambyr Childers
      • Toby Hemingway
    • 57User reviews
    • 50Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    U.S. Version
    Trailer 2:15
    U.S. Version

    Photos18

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    + 15
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    Top cast25

    Edit
    Christian Slater
    Christian Slater
    • Frank Lyons
    Ambyr Childers
    Ambyr Childers
    • Riley
    Toby Hemingway
    Toby Hemingway
    • Quinn
    Jonathan Keltz
    Jonathan Keltz
    • Nate
    Luke Bonczyk
    • Harlan Diehl
    Jana Veldheer
    • Susie Diehl
    Johnny Pacar
    Johnny Pacar
    • Julian Miller
    Alessandra Torresani
    Alessandra Torresani
    • Brianna Baker
    Jennifer Missoni
    Jennifer Missoni
    • DeeDee Baker
    Dorien Davies
    • Ms. Milton
    Kenny Stevenson
    • Co-Worker
    Mark Metcalf
    Mark Metcalf
    • Chris Safford
    Bernard McConnell
    • Cop
    Lisa Jane Todd
    Lisa Jane Todd
    • Anne Miller
    Daryl Mitchell
    Daryl Mitchell
    • Wylie
    • (as Daryl 'Chill' Mitchell)
    Matt Braaten
    • Detective
    Stephanie Webb
    • Newscaster
    Brian Erickson
    • Keg Stand Assistant #2
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Michael A. Nickles
    • Writer
      • Michael A. Nickles
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews57

    4.35.2K
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    Featured reviews

    5Thrill_KillZ

    Playback will never hit Theaters

    I was not expecting much but the coming to theaters March 3rd post gave me some hope and I also thought it would be kind of like "The Ring", but this is just another DTV ball of crap. The acting was harsh and the characters were so random and extremely hard to care for. Half the time I could barely even recognize who was getting offed so the empathy scale is a 0. So many questions are left unanswered and plot points unexplained. The adding of Christian Slater's character just cheapened the entire film, when is the last time one of his movies hit the big screen? I really usually love & enjoy horror/thrillers but this one seemed really forced with very little thought in the direction area. Of course the ending is just another cheap horror cliché, with their intent for a sequel already primed I'm sure. If you have nothing to do go for it , but I warned you. This is a VERY generous 5/10

    Just to be fair, movies I watch on the net I add a extra point to just to put things in the right prospective.
    5aronharde

    Not great but watchable

    This is a low budget genre flick that has countless flaws but also a rather interesting story and a decent payoff. You could tell that the budget was not very high which honestly kind of drags the movies watching experience down. The acting is okayish and the effects are somewhere between good and pretty bad at times. The movie definitely borrows some material from other more famous flicks but never straight up copies anything and tries to be its own twisted little story. Overall it's decent and if the plot synopsis sounds interesting to you, you might enjoy this, however don't expect something great out of this because it is not. [4,7/10]
    2saadgkhan

    Simply Ignore ..........

    Playback – TRASH IT (C) Playback is a horror film with very little potential. The whole story of devil transforming from generation to generation via screen is little too much even for this indie horror. First thing first I still cannot believe that Christian Slater will take a role of pedophile in a C graded movie. It's better to not do anything rather than shaming his name (whatever is left after "Alone in the Drak") into dirt. It stars some of the not very famous yet good looking tween stars Toby Hemingway, Jonahtan Keltz, Johnny Pacar, Jennifer Missoni, Luke Bonczyk, Alessandra Torresani and Ambyr Childers. Overall, it's a gruesome time passer but bad lighting and not very impressive story and performance makes you bore. Simply ignore this one.
    1maximum_2083

    i was happy before this came along

    The only thing great about this movie is probably the over rated movie poster. The movie itself was absolute crap with glitter wrapping on it. i hope to never ever come across another load of crap again. The plot was none existent, the characters where incredibly watered down to the point where you will find yourself not caring about them at any level and the scares where just loud noises like a loud truck or dog suddenly barking. This is not even a movie you consider if you where bored. Majority of the time i found myself looking away from screen and just wondering how the directors can get away with releasing movie like this. At the end of it i felt i had wasted over 1:30 minutes of my life for no reason. Do your self a favor and don't bother watching this crap.
    7xxxsarahmariexx

    Good horror thriller!

    I'm a humongous horror fan. Hostel and Saw are amazing. So when I saw this at family video, I thought why not? I absolutely love Johnny Pacar, so I knew it had to be decent, right?

    Right I was! The acting is solid, the gore is realistic, and the plot twists are believable. I read all the reviews beforehand and expected a stinker, but do NOT read most of the reviews. They're either making fun or they were expecting something else.

    Yes, there are plot holes. Yes, the ending is predictable. But it's fun, it made me jump a couple times, and the gore doesn't look ridiculously fake like most B movies!

    Will I watch it again? Heck yeah! Will I buy it? Possibly. Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

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    Related interests

    Daveigh Chase in The Ring (2002)
    Supernatural Horror
    Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Horror
    Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974)
    Mystery
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Wylie tells Julian all the people in Louis Le Prince's 2-second film 'Round Hay Garden Scene' died as soon as they made the movie. In reality, only Le Prince's mother-in-law, Sarah Whitley, died after making the film, 10 days later.
    • Goofs
      When Quinn films himself at the end, the camera pans down from the house to his face. When Julien watches the video, the camera pans up from the ground to Quinn's face.
    • Quotes

      Julian Miller: He was adopted? It says Harlan's real parents died when he was four, born in New York, bounced around foster homes until the Diehl family adopted him.

      Riley: Well yeah, a lot of poor families do it for subsidy money.

      Julian Miller: His real name is Harlan Prince, descendant of the mysterious Louis Le Prince.

      Riley: Mysterious who?

      Julian Miller: Louis Le Prince.

      Riley: Never heard of him.

      Julian Miller: Well that's why he's mysterious.

    • Connections
      Features Roundhay Garden Scene (1888)
    • Soundtracks
      Forever and a Day
      Written by Johnny Pacar

      Performed by Forever the Day

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    FAQ18

    • How long is Playback?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 9, 2012 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Playback: Bloodline
    • Filming locations
      • Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
    • Production companies
      • Fontenay Films Ltd.
      • Bennett-Robbins Productions
      • Emmett/Furla Oasis Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,600,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $264
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $252
      • Mar 18, 2012
    • Gross worldwide
      • $57,587
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 38m(98 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

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